Monotoring capacity and performance of stroke patients using instrumented clothing

With the aging of the population, the incidence of stroke is increasing, especially in western countries. Depending on the patient’s impairments as a result of the stroke, a patient-specific rehabilitation program is started. When the patient has an adequate capacity to live at home, the patient is discharged and sent home. Sometimes patients show deterioration after leaving the rehabilitation centre. In some cases this is so severe that re-admission to a rehabilitation centre is necessary. Many times, the cause of the deterioration is unknown, since the patient’s period at home is like a black-box for the physician. If the physician would be able to monitor the patient’s motor function at home, he could intervene in case of deterioration and prevent an expensive re-hospitalisation. For this purpose, we develop instrumented clothing containing sensors that can eventually result in daily-life monitoring. In this pilot study, balance, walking and reaching tasks of stroke patients will be assessed in the home situation. The results will be evaluated and related to regular clinical tests and a predefined task, performed in a controlled laboratory setting.

1) It is possible to record data delivering insights in the actual performance of activities of daily life using the Interaction system in stroke patients in the home environment.
2) It is expected that standard clinical test scores do not necessarily correlate with performance scores measured in the home setting.

There will be 3 measurement sessions, all performed within one week: 1 in a controlled laboratory setting, 2 in the home setting. Alle sessions will take about 3 hours.

N/A: observational study
open, non-randomized proof of concept pilot study including measurements in a controlled setting and measurements in the home setting while wearing instrumented clothing.